Thank You Note

The first time it was a feeling of exhilaration. On second one, it was contentment and then when it was third and fourth or fifth may be….it was happiness but sans excitement. Even if without the exuberance or rush, it do offered me a sense of repose and gladness. For the reason being it was presented by someone whom I hardly know but who somehow follows some of my writing expressions and indeed like them. Thank you Abbie as there’s no better word than this if you tell it from your heart and that’s what I am doing right now. Only semblance at cursory level is we are women but totally from different worlds. Abbie belongs to New Zealand and most of you as are aware of, I am an Indian. Her words touched me. She is a genuine and sensitive person and never shies away from even expressing her vulnerable side out. Her blog @abbiesbabble.wordpress.com encompasses her warm and affable spirit.

Going by the rule of the game,

Answer the questions the award-giver asked you and make 11 more for your nominees.

1. Read on screen or old school book?

Ans: Given anyday, old school books. But quite recently the ease or the practicality of it makes me stick to my digital pad more.

2. You have a night in, what’s the best way to spend it?

Ans: No two words on this, absolutely with my husband and son having good time.

3. Favourite book (sorry, two book questions already, can’t help myself!)?

Ans: There are many. But on recentness I enjoyed Hurley’s Eat, love and Pray. Every word reverberates of how I feel too and filled with thoughtfulness and wisdom.

4. Favourite place in the world – that you’ve been to?

Ans: it was a remote hill station and the place we stayed was a hut beside a river bank. Idyllic, scenic and tranquil – what more one can ask for!

5. The place you would most like to go?

Ans: My hometown, my birthplace. It’s been quite a time, I miss it’s smell, touch, the air and the faces which I hardly interact with but somewhere I connect to.

6. Bungee jump or skydive (I haven’t done either but would probably skydive)?

Ans: Probably none of them as I have tremendous height phobia even though I am adventurous for other pursuits.

7. What’s the best part of blogging for you?

Ans: Connection, of course. When I could touch someone’s heart through my writing, there’s no feeling better than that in this world of blogging. Secondly if I can make some positive impact or influence in any form or kind for betterment to an individual or society at large. I am sorry but that’s how I feel. Didn’t want to bore you guys though.

8. Most played song over the last month?

Ans: Can you believe this…it’s Black Eyed Peas with ‘Tonight’s gonna be a good night’ as my son loves to dance to it’s tune.

9. Favourite smell (for me, fresh cut grass, home baking, the beach)?

Ans: There’s something about coffee and the drizzle…it smells heavenly together.

10. Best holiday memory?

Ans: It’s the same idyllic serene I mentioned above and the memorable part from it was my son’s journey towards first steps…he was trying to walk on his own and we could capture those indelible moments with free spirit while holidaying.

11. Best tip for other new bloggers?

Ans: Just be in your skin. You are unique and share that uniqueness through your creativity.

I will be skipping on the ‘facts about me’ part as I don’t want to nag you guys more. Moreover it’s already there in my other awards posts.

Questions from me to you:

1. What made you start blogging?
   2. What makes you laugh out loud?
   3. Which book made an impression in your life?
   4. Who is your favourite author?
   5. Who inspired you most?
   6. Which song defines you?
   7. What’s your favourite mantra or quote?
   8. Three things you cannot live without.
   9. What is love for you?
   10. What is writing as per you?
   11. Do you have any idiosyncrasies? What are they?

I have varied taste. My nominees as per my taste, choice and affinity are:

http://incandescentmoonpoetry.wordpress.com/ – Some of the best poetry I have read while my blogging journey. It surpasses good and tends to be great.

http://pamkirstblog.wordpress.com/ – Amazing Writer.

http://katienaum.com/ – Reflective and natural flow of words.

Permacooking.com – Healthy and Holistic lifestyle tips.

Cookingwithawallflower.com – food and cooking with variety and one step ahead.

http://epiphanyinthecacophony.wordpress.com/ – Creativity personified.

http://kmihran.wordpress.com/ – A person who with his blog spreads and shares positive energy.

http://uthamz.wordpress.com – exquisite, vibrant photographs.

http://loveinshallah.com/ – her blog reflects her grit and admirable spirit.

Propelsteps.wordpress.com – a blog with a humanitarian cause.

http://avian101.wordpress.com/ – My love for birds of any flock brings me here.

1.Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to their page.
2. Proudly display the award banner on your page.
3. List eleven facts about yourself.
4. Answer the questions the award-giver asked you and make 11 more for your nominees.
5. List your nominees.

 

Writing or Blogging: Follow your Heart or Listen to your Mind

How can I not Write/Blog on a matter, which is an integral part of  one’s life or just say my identity? Writing is an art of self-expression, no doubt about it. Writing for me has always been an introspective element manifested or revealed through your own style, taste and talent. It always feels way lighter and better to vocalise one’s wandering thoughts by penning or typing it down.

But contemporary outgrowth of blogging has given writing a totally new dimension. Blogging, I wonder has become an offshoot or a new breed of writing, in broader sense . The purpose of this note is to seek for the ways to resolve the dilemma, which I am sure we all writers/bloggers face at some point of time:

Writing or Blogging: Follow your Heart or Listen to your Mind

I have been writing for almost eighteen years from my adolescence….but blogging is a recent activity. Days before blogging when I used to write only for myself, or some of my close patrons; It was all about creative vent, articulation, power of imagination or may be a narrative testimony. Or just as simple as for a real feel of repose and comfort. So it was more like, I was following my heart.

But now with blogging for larger, unknown audiences, apart from all the preceding factors, few more parameters which are being added are – appropriate choice of topics, words and format , curtailing of raw, under baked thoughts and some more which I will be elaborating few lines down. Basically, this time the mind is overpowering the heart. With blogging now, It’s more of a responsible writing for me. As I always believe that writing goes way beyond self-expression. It has that immense power of influencing minds and culture. Writing affects eternity in that sense. 

And that’s where my frustration arises from. I cannot just write for the fun of writing, like any hogwash or gibberish or just for the sake of herd following. It has to be that much worth albeit humorous or sombre.

After managing my hours in a day, being a mom, wife and me-time which includes my writing pursuit and reading for real not just skimming and scanning around, I just beseech for a miraculous intervention. If only god could provide me with twenty eight hours a day, I guess that would suffice my need for time being. With the blogging scene around, quite considerably one has to spend time to reach out; searching for the like-minded sources or people. You can call it networking in simple term and trying to fit into that new found, hopeful blogger community.

Now with all these, past few days of my tour de force into the real world of blogging has made me reflect and introspect a handful of queries:

• Why do I write –

To be read or to be liked. To elaborate, I observed painfully some of them like your blogs or posts even without reading it. Hopefully I am that good or may be my profile picture is that enduring.

• What should I write – 

Something which touched or troubled me deeply and I felt the urge to express it to the world, sort of speak your heart out with your signature creative touch. Or rather be a part of the daily contests for product promotion commercials – being with the crowd as that creates more visibility. On a lighter vein, they have given me back a nostalgic feel of my school years, the best days of my life. I do feel like a school girl with my neat hair braids, while trying to attempt one of those creative exercises studiously.

• For whom I write – 

My own country people in this case India or the whole world family which beckons me as a basic fellow human being. As culturally sensitive issues require different approach, understanding and handling.

• Where will it lead me to – 

Now question in this case is a break-even point as an individual you want to achieve; not just financially but personal aspiration and fulfilment too. So comes the part where will it lead me to, Really! after all this toil and grey matter jugglery…A self-published Kindle Writer/a not-so-leading Freelancer/ a top Blogger(which seems doubtful)/ a Renowned Writer(did I tell you my latest secret desire)/ or Just a regular personal diary girl(which many of us hold).

Lastly the quirkiest,

• When should I write – 

I read at some places, which elaborately elucidates to publish your articles on weekends, while other preach for week days depending on various intermingled factors; indeed with their sound reasonings and pie charts. They all seem so confused though with lots of hypothesis which makes my weary heart more bewildered.

(A quick note : I don’t even want to dwell into the worlds of choice of SEOs and plug ins, RSS feed, social media shares, co promotion and several estranged blog awards to keep this article lesser complicated.)

No two ways about it, Blogging has created new vistas and raised new hopes in the heart of many a budding writer and potential bloggers. The world as a platform served to us, which our forefathers did not have fathomed in their slightest dreams, is a boon as well as a bane in itself. This has given plenty of channels to express. Plenty, in turn has led to complexity.

What hurts is that all these has led to more of casual approach towards writing bordering to mediocre, contended with sub standard. There are people who write, and then others who can write and lastly some, who are good writers. There lies a distinct difference between these three. But how to decide who is what? May be reading and more reading will aid. Perhaps somewhere we ourself know that we can write or not in the subconscious level even if we don’t agree or acknowledge in our cognizance.

All this has made my writer heart more despondent and disillusioned. If I try to do justice to one, I am being inattentive to the other, which I don’t want to for known good reasons. Nevertheless, most of these ramblings have given rise to a state of tug-of-war within me as to follow my heart or listen to the mind….to be precise; focus more on writing or blogging with much of time constraint.

Following your heart may not always be that logical or plausible, but for sure will relinquish us with the pure vigour of  that unadulterated joy. Listening to your mind alone might be a trail towards the right path, but more calculating and gives us lesser contentment in terms of freedom of expression and raw exuberance. A balance between the two is the right approach and that’s a fine line too. With experience and time by my side, I will surely learn to harmonise between these two – writing and blogging.

This note is incomplete without a mention though. That I have come across quite a few of the writings/blogs occasionally during this dig, which are absolute ingenious. What a delight they are to your intellect and senses – creativity incarnated and compelling writing style. I feel glad as they have touched and amused my heart and inspired my spine to write better in some way or other. They flourish because of the virtue of their merit. And trust me on this, that they will prevail till the last.

Life is a big teacher and so do time if only we have an eager heart and a mind filled with willingness. All I know, this time I did follow my heart as I fiddle my pen through this post. But with the hope that it will strike a chord with your heart as well and appeal to your mind too….My readers, ‘do enlighten me as to how you go about this whole formidable affair’?:

“Writing vs Blogging: Follow your Heart or Listen to your Mind….”

 

 

I say Hello !

This will be my first blog. I don’t know, what to write or how to start. There are so many things I want to express and so less I can. I mean practically.
My mind is racing with thoughts, life experiences, feelings subtle, mundane prophecies and what not. Do I start with a quote? Or just a topic, any of my favourites, but then when you want to blog on love, life and whatever…then what you choose to start with. Now comes the writers block…so am I calling myself a writer? What gives me an eligibility of being called a writer. Is it My bachelors in English literature(those three precious college years which I spent learning something which was captivating and engaging to me, not something which will make me financially viable though) or my penchant for writing or things literary.
These days anyone is a writer. Let it be hardcore commercial novelist to a page 3 blogger or an eager FB afficionado posting his thoughts in his walls( me being one in the list some of the times). I have nothing against any of these, it’s just that there were days when people struggled to be a writer. Now we have plenty in terms of channels to express. Plenty has lead to complexity… We read about anything to many things. Some topics as weird as it could get!
Anyhow I would like to look at the brighter side and that is all these makes my knowledge bank richer and richer everyday and that today I have any kind of information one finger tip away.
My only request to my readers is all I want is, to stay as sincere and as true as possible, to you while baring my thoughts and feelings and in this journey of writing – love me, hate me but help me with your sincere feedbacks and to my fellow bloggers to welcome me with a warm heart. Until then keep reading and yes blogging too. Love and care. How could I not end this with a quote. One of my favourites on writers:

“No need to hurry. No need to sparkle. No need to be anybody but oneself.”
Virginia Woolf/ A Room of Ones’s Own.